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Why so much faster today? (Read 628 times)

AnneCA


    Today, I ended up doing a long run -- long for me. Wink When I logged it, I realized I'd done it at a 10:05 pace, which is pretty fast -- fast for me. Wink Strange to see a pace like that on what was, after all, a long run. There were a couple of variables at play: -- I ran at 11:30 or so, instead of my usual 6 am. I don't eat before my 6 am run; I'd eaten a regular breakfast about 3 hours before this run. -- I felt *really good* for most of the run -- that's how it ended up 7 miles long. I'd only been planning on 5, maybe 6, but I was enjoying the cruise so much, I kept picking new landmarks for my turnaround point. I really didn't feel like I was pushing the pace. -- It wasn't my normal route. I'm working today Roll eyes and took a break to run. Today's course was mostly flat, flat, flat -- along the waterfront flat. My normal route has hills. Then again, I had a lot more wind to contend with on this run than I normally do. -- There were a lot of people around; it was tourist territory. I rarely pass folks on my 6 am runs. Looking at it all written down like that, it seems obvious why it was so much faster. But I do get frustrated with my slow pace on my regular runs, and I'd like to figure out how to replicate something closer to this kind of pace on a regular basis, given the hills, timing, and solitude I have to work with there. Or should I just be happy to learn that I *can* do this pace when the conditions are right, so even though I'm usually running much slower, I must be doing something right? (oh, and I'm not doing any speedwork. In the past, speedwork has always lead to injuries for me)


    A Saucy Wench

      You had a great run!!!
      Or should I just be happy to learn that I *can* do this pace when the conditions are right, so even though I'm usually running much slower, I must be doing something right?
      Yup. Today 10:05 was "easy pace". If it truely felt easy great. But dont reach for it or strive for it most of the time. Days like today are why we keep running through the cold, wind, rain, sluggishness, 5 am ishness, not-getting-my-chores done times Big grin FWIW I always run faster at ~10 am than I do at 5 am too.

      I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

       

      "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

      trojancinephile


        I have days like that, where I feel great and just run at what I feel like is a nice and easy pace, then when I get home, I discover I ran 60-90 seconds/mile faster than my usual easy pace without trying. I can never replicate it on a regular basis and when I think I've found a commonality, on the next run that pace happens, the commonality disappears. I am just happy to have the ability to run easy at a faster pace than I normally do. The one thing I did after I had a few of those runs was re-evaluate my goal pace for my half-marathon (make it faster). Also, if you're getting faster you must be doing something right. And if you don't do speedwork and want to get faster, might I suggest running more longer runs. As my endurance has gone up, I've been able to run shorter distances more quickly.
        finney


        Resident pinniped

          I run better later in the day too. I'm MUCH looser than if I head out first thing in the morning. In fact, I usually only run PM runs for that very reason.
            You might be running faster than you think on your normal run. I found out after running about a year on one of my normal runns that what I thought was 3 miles was closer to 3.2... Just a thought... or it was just a good day!
              I always find that when there's lots of people around I always speed up. Because I have to, and want to, pass them. If there were lots of slow walking tourists, maybe that increased your speed overall? As you mentioned earlier you don't normally eat before your morning runs. While I can run on an empty stomach, I definately find that I can work harder if I have eaten prior to the run. OR maybe you've naturally improved and have previously been keeping yourself slow when you can preform much faster? Who knows! Very fun though!